There has to be Lechon: Celebration in the Filipino Community

By Randy Gonzales

Randy Gonzales

For four years, I lived in Pearl River, LA as a resident-observer. a transplant, a New Orleanian who had lived outside of the US for 15 years. Used to living on the margins, I identified with transplants, migrants, and immigrants. I was intrigued with how they adapted to local cultures and communities, how they changed the rural landscape. In the Filipino community, I imagined my ancestors' struggle to keep their cultural identity, while becoming part of the place they inhabited.